What God can do with a little oil, by John Funnell

'The story of how a poor Welsh chapel facing closure has been transformed into a thriving community'

What God can do with a little oil - Church Growth in a Desperate Situation
By John Funnell
Noddfa Press
ISBN: 9798309024551
Reviewed by David Williams

John Funnell has been pastor of Noddfa Baptist Church, Abersychan, South Wales since 2014.

The title of this little book comes from 2 Kings 4 and the tale is of how a local church has proved the Old Testament story to work in a modern context. In 2014 the church was on the verge of closure but if you want to see Noddfa today look at their videos on YouTube, some containing baptismal services and others featuring Pastor John's further thoughts on leadership.

Your Servant is Dead starts the book and gives the picture from the 1904 Revival through the prosperous days of the coal industry to the present state of the area suffering high rates of poverty, crime, disability, unemployment, teenage pregnancy, domestic violence and anti-social behaviour.

In the middle of this the church cried out to God, just like the widow. They then looked at what they had rather than what they missed. They then went out to their neighbours including through the Covid-19 crisis, offering what they could. They embraced modern technology in ways they had not done so before.

The church has grown from single figures to a morning congregation of 140 in ten years and this book describes the good and bad times involved in this story, as well as giving us lessons which may or may not apply in any particular local situation.

The book then contains a short section on principles followed by a longer one on lessons and includes a snapshot of September 2014 in the life of the church and Pastor John.

We sometimes thank the encouraging stories only come from other countries but this one comes from one of the most deprived areas of our own country.

David Williams is a member of Didcot Baptist Church whose parents emigrated from the Eastern Valley in the 1930s

Baptist Times, 17/10/2025

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